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US 2003/0195945 A1Published application
Server for information retrieval system and terminal device
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsTsutomu Honda, Nobuyoshi Suzuki
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsTsutomu Honda, Nobuyoshi Suzuki
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides a server for an information retrieval system capable of performing an information retrieval based on an image to thereby accurately answer what an object in an image is and lessen the burden on the user. A terminal device transmits retrieval information including an image of an object the user does not know and attribute information regarding the image to a server. The server receives the retrieval information, and an information retrieval apparatus selecting unit selects an information retrieval apparatus as an object to which the retrieval information is transmitted from a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses by referring to reference information on the basis of the attribute information. As the reference information, information regarding specialty or the like of each information retrieval apparatus is stored. The information retrieval apparatus selects the information retrieval apparatus in consideration of the specialty or the like of each information retrieval apparatus. By transmitting the retrieval information to the selected information retrieval apparatus, the information retrieval apparatus requested to perform the information retrieval executes the information retrieval based on the image (retrieval for answering what the object in the image is).
A server for information retrieval, comprising:
An information retrieving method in a server for performing data communication with a plurality of terminal devices via a first interface and performing data communication with a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses via a second interface, the method comprising the steps of:
A terminal device capable of performing data communication via a network with a server which performs data communication with a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses, comprising:
A method of generating retrieval information in a terminal device capable of performing data communication via a network with a server performing data communication with a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Backward citations are indexed for grants only.
Querying: query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
Computing and data processing
Term end not estimated
This application is based on application No. 2002-087798 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server for an information retrieval system and a terminal device for performing an information retrieval based on an image.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an information retrieval system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a case where a terminal device is a computer;
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a case where the terminal device is a digital camera;
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1. General Configuration of Information Retrieval System
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an information retrieval system 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the information retrieval system 1 has a server 2 for the information retrieval system (hereinafter, simply referred to as server), a plurality of terminal devices 3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, . . . ), and a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses 4 (4a, 4b, 4c, . . . ). The server 2 and the plurality of terminal devices 3 are connected to each other so as to transmit/receive data to/from each other via a network 5, and the server 2 and the plurality of information retrieving apparatuses 4 are connected to each other so as to transmit/receive data to/from each other via a network 6.